Weaving apparatus



June14,1932. M. C. HO. LECOQQ 1,852,962

WEAVING APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1951 2 sheets-sheet 1 FITDM K H J B 115195191,

VE/V70@ E M. C', H0, Lieve@ June i4? w32. M.- c.l H. o. L EcocQ v1,862,962

WEAVING' APPARATUS l Filed May 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7S/VEN faff.

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t gf@ Patented June 14, 1932 PATENT OFFICE MAURICE CHARLES HENRI OCTAVE LECOCQ, OF

CAMBRAI, FRANCE WEAVING APPARATUS Application filed May 19, 1931, Serial No. 538,555, and in Belgium May 22, 1930.

The present invention relates to apparatus for use in weaving and more particularly to a device for facilitating and accelerating the replenishing of the spent shuttles from weavti ing looms with new cops or spools.

Hitherto, the operations required for reilling a shuttle with a new cop or spool have been relatively long and difficult, since they have been effected by hand and it is first necessary to exert a considerable effort on the cover of the shuttle, which forms a spring, to disengage it from the hook which retains it in the closed position during weaving, and raise it. T hen the new cop has to be placed in pow sition in the shuttle lso that the free'endV of the yarn or weft can be passed underneath suitable tensioning or braking devices for the subsequent unwinding, such as rods or other accessories fixed to the shuttle frame, and the yarn or weft threaded through the eyelet in the wall of the shuttle. These operations, further, require much skill and dexterity to be effected quickly and efciently. After these y, operations, the cop is then pressed down firmly into the shuttle, by hand, andthe cover lowered by exerting thereon a considerable effort so that it can be locked again in the closed position by its hook. VAll these operations take place a great number of times for E@ a workman running a loom or looms weaving heavy yarns, and become very tiring. It is important, therefore, to render this replenishing of a spent shuttle as easy and rapid as possible if it is desired to increase the production of the looms per weaver.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device which permits of eifecting the whole of the series of operations described above, without eHort, and in a very short time, with normal shuttles or with shuttles hardly modified to produce the automatic tensioning and threading of the weft through the eyelet of the latter. y v A further object of the invention is to provide a device for this purpose wherein pressure exerting means are arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closing n thereof, and the movement of the said pressure exerting meansis combined with that of means for producing the introduction and withdrawal of thread grlpplng means, such as a hook device, into and from the shuttle to produce automatic threading of the weft through the eyelet thereof.

In carrying the invention into practice, according to a still further object of the invention, the movementsv of introduction and withdrawal of the hook device are produced alternately and controlled by the successive operation of movable projections or stops, theY movement of which follows that of a pressure exerting device, and each complete movement of the latter is adapted to cause the operation of a dilferent stop or projection, the one for introducing the hook into the thread andthe following Jfor withdrawing it therefrom. V

Further still, the movable projections or stops may be mounted on a common axis or spindle provided on a running, sliding or oscillating train which is controlled through connecting rods or links by the movement of the said pressure device, in such a manner that each return of the pressure device and of the trainto the position of rest causes the stops to rotate around their axis and bring a new one into action.

In operation, vthe pressure device, .which j may comprise one or more lever devices, is pressed down onto the cover of the shuttle by means of a foot-operated pedal, so that a single finger is sufiicient to unlock the latter and raise it. The same movement of the pedal automatically introduces into the shuttle, through the threading eyelet, a hook which is adapted to withdraw subsequently the free end of the yarn or weft through the eyelet of the shuttle. AThe hand which has been left free up till now seizes then a new cop or spool and brings it into position above the receptacle provided therefor in the shuttle. The

other hand seizes the free end of the weft of the cop and easily arranges it so that automatic threading thereof takes place. Undernea-th the cover of the shuttle are provided further projections so that when the latter is pressed down the weft or yarn is arranged along a zig-Zag path between tensioning devices and in such a positionv as to be met-by the threading hook-as the latter is withdrawn i goa through the eyelet. The toot then gives a second movement to the pedal, which presses down the cover into position, so that by either' of the hands, which have become free again, the weaver can lock the latter, and at the same time the hook is withdrawn automatically from the shuttle carrying with it the weft through the eyelet.

lt can be seen thus that by means of a device such as above even an unskilled person can accomplish without fatigue a lseries of difficult operations in a very short time which otherwise a skilled workman could only accomplish with effort and in a Atar greater time.

ln order that the invention may be more clearly understood, it is described hereinafter, by way ot example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a device suitable for the filling of jute shuttles of the ordinary type. ln the figures Fig. 1 shows a lateral section of a device according to the invention, with a transverse section ot a shuttle in position for filling.

2 represents the foot-operated control pedal.

8 is a view in plan with covers and various other parts omitted.

Fig. 4- is a crossssectional view of the device with several parts omitted.

Fig` 5 is a perspective view of a constructional detail.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of part of a shuttle with automatic tensioning devices.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the end of the shuttle cover.

Fig. 8 is a lateral sectional view of a modi tied device according to the invention, showing in transverse sec-tion a shuttle in position tor filling.

-With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, the shuttle A to be filled with a new spool or cop is arranged in a channel 3 mounted on supports 2 lixed to a hase plate 1. On the side of the channel 3 are ixed two bearings or brackets 4l in which rotates a shaft 5 arranged paral lelly to the length 0i the shuttle. On this shaft is lined a lever 6 carrying at one end an abutment or stud 7, the end of which may be lined with leather or rubber. This stud is so arranged that by rotation of the shaft 5 it is brought to bear on the end of the elastic steel cover B et the shuttle. A spiral spring 8, wound round the sha-tt 5, tends to lift the stud as far as the position indicated by full lines. On the same shaft 5 is mounted also a crank 9 which can be operated by a vertical rod 10. A toot pedal 11, fixed on the ground by a support 12, produces rotation of the shaft 5, and consequent lowering of the stud 7 onto the cover B oia the shuttle, when operated by the foot.

On the shaft 5 is mounted also a bent lever 13 adapted to produce, through a double or forked rod lei, horizontal movement of a train oi two wheels 15 which run on the base plate 1 (Figs. 1, 3 and l). These two wheels are mounted outside the two branches of the fork on a shaft 15 which passes through the ends of the latter. On this same shaft, between the branches ot the fork, rotate freely a set of two identical rotatable plates 17a and 17?) joined by four rods 18, as shown in Fig. 5. The opera-tion of these members will be eX- plained hereinafter. It will be noticed, however, that each rotatable plate 17 comprises two identical radial projections or stops 19 opposite one another and that the rotatable plates are arranged in such a manner that the projections 19a of the rotatable plate 17 a are in a plane perpendicular to that of the projections 19.7) of the rotatable plate 175.

The above described train of wheels is maintained in and guided between two vertical plates or supports 20 (Figs. 1 and 4) which are connected by tour rods 21 and which are fixed on the base plate 1. Above the train of wheels is provided a carriage member 22 adapted to slide along two projections of the plates and the guidance of wiich is completed by the cover 23. To the carriage is fixed a Hook member 24T, `formed such as by a metallic wire, which can penetrate into the shuttle il through the eyelet C of the latter. The carriage 22 carries on its lower part and in `front a projection 25 which is not located along the axis oi" the carriage but in a position sucl as to be. covered by the projections 19 of one oi' the rotatable plates 17, projections 19a, for iustance, when one of the latter is brought into the high position as shown in the iigures. it. spring 26, attached to the underneath and front of the carriage as well to a fixed rod 2.7, always tends to bring baclf` the carriage to the rear or position of rest and to pull the hook 24 away from the eyelet ot' the shuttle.

.Vhen the carriage has been brought right forward to the right by means of the train ot wheels and projections 19a, it automatically locks itself in this position by means ot a locking member 2S arranged underneath the carriage, which member is articulated at 2f) about an axis carried by one of the two plates 2f) and which a little spring (not shown) tends to maintain in the locked position. Unlocking is effected, however, if the tail member 30, which prolongav beyond its axis the lever which forms the locking member 28, is lifted. This tail member 30 is arranged in such a position as to be covered by the projections 1% of the second rotatable plate 177) when they are in the high position.

ln operation, a forward movement of the train of wheels (caused by a first movement of the pedal) is intended to move the carrir'sge 22 forwards, towards the shuttle at the right. This is effected by a projection 19a being in the high position and engaging with the downward projection 25 of the carriage. For

this, it necessary however that the projection 19a pushing the carriage should not be able to rotate backwards. rlhis is achieved by means of a pawl device 31 which is pivoted at 32 on the forked rod 14 and is supported on one of the four rods 18 of the rotatable plates 17 so as to allow rotation of these rotatable plates only in the direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1. A spring 33 maintains this'counter pawl in the working position. With this construction, the forward movement of the train of wheels can thus carry along at the same time the carriage 22 until the latter is locked in the forward position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1.

At the following operation of the footpedal, the carriage 22 must be unlocked from this position when the train of wheels arrives at the end of its forward movement, and for this purpose it is necessary for the set of rotatable plates 17 to have previously rotatect by a quarter of a revolution in the direction of the curved arrow, to bring` a projection 19o into the high position to unlock 28 by lifting the tail member 30; rThis is effected by articulating on a fixed axis .f5/l a pawl 35 which always engage-s with one of the rods 18 when the train of wheels returns to the normal position. To this end, a small spring (not shown) tends to bring against the fixed support 21 the pawl 36, which is integral with the pawl 35, as shown in Fig. 1. Jhen the foot releases the pedal, after the first movement during which the project-ion 190l has brought the carriage forward, to the right, the spiral spring 8 returns the train of wheels to the normal position. ln this movement, the rod 18 which is situated at the top and at the left (in Figs. 1 and 5) meets the pawl 85 before the return movement has finished, and as the shaft 16 con# tinues its movement, the rod 18 which has been stopped rotates about this axis. The distance during which the pawl stops the rod is so adjusted that the rotatable plates 17 rotate exactly a quarter of a revolution and this rotation lowers the operating project-ion 19a which was in the high position and causes the projection 19?) which was at the left to be raised, the pawl 31 again retaining the rotatable plates in their new positions. Upon pressing on the foot pedal l1 a second time, which brings the train of wheels forward again, at the end of this movement the raised projection 195 comes to lift the tail 8O of the locking lever 28, as shown in broken lines in l? ig. 1. The lever 28 then releases the carriage which, brought bach by its spring 26, returns `quickly to the normal position at the same time withdrawing the hook 24 from inside the shuttle through the eyelet C of the latter.

The above described device is used as follows to refill an empty shuttle with a new cop or spool.

The shuttle to be refilled is first arranged in the channel 3 and supported against an abutment 87 in order to bring the eyelet C exactly into the path ofthe hook 211. The foot pedal is then operated, which lowers the lever 6 and stud 7 so as to strike the cover B of the shuttle 'and' at the same time causes the hook 24 to penetrate through the eyelet C automatically by the forward movement of the train of wheels and carriage 22, as explained above. The weavers two hands being free, one disengages the small hook D (Fig. 6) which retains the cover and lifts the cover. The other hand seizes a new cop or spool and deposits it in the hollow of the shuttle, at the same time pushing it down a little bit. The first hand, which has become free again, takes the free end of the yarn or weft of the cop and arranges it or hooks it rapidly as will be eX- plained later. The second hand then lowers the cover and the foot pedal is operated again to strike the cover B of the shuttle with the lever 6 and stud 7 so that it can be easily reloclied by means of its hook D. At the same time, it causes, as explained above, the unlocking of the carriage 22 from its forward position and the automatic withdrawal of the hook 24 from the shuttle, the cover of which has now been closed and locked. plained hereinafter, this cover has been so arranged that the free end of the yarn or weft crosses the return path of the hook so that 'the latter draws it at the same time through the eyelet of the snuttle upon the return movement of the carriage 22. After the foot pedal has been released for the second time, the refilled shuttle can then be taken out and the apparatus is ready for a new shuttle since the return to the normal position under the effect of the spring 8 produces again a rotation of a quarter of a revolution of the rotatable plates 17 and brings a projection 19a back into the high position.

In order to ensure the automatic tensioning and threading of the weft or yarn in the shuttle, various devices may be employed according to the type of shuttle in use. ln Figs. 3 and 6, in particular, can be seen two spindles or rods E and F crossing the hollow of the shuttle at the top between the socket for the spool and the eyelet. Under the shuttle cover B has also been riveted a small support or stirrup H of metallic wire which is lowered into the space left free between the spindles E and F when the cover is let down. By this means, the free end J of the weft or yarn, which has first been arranged over the spindles and underthe stirrup, is caused to follow a Zig-Zag path which results inthe desired braking by friction of the yarn which is drawn from the cop during the weaving. The degree of braking can be modified such as by separating the spindles or lowering the stirrup more or less, using plush fittings, or any other suitable means for this purpose;

As ex- It is possible, for instance, to tix to the underneath of the cover B a second support or stirrup K. In all cases, however, the tensioning of the yarn will be automatic in the sense that it will be produced by automatically putting the cover in place.

In the same way, in order to ensure the automatic threading of the yarn, an additional member such as M may be fixed to the underneath of the cover between the front of the latter and the eyelet, as shown in Figs. l, 3, 6 and 7. This member M, either of metallic wire, sheet metal or other suitable material, comprises essentially a small hool m into which the thread is brought by a simple movement, such as by means of a slope p which joins the back of the hoo i to the edge of the cover. Once the thread has been arranged under the cover, it is sufiicient to draw it towards oneself in order that, descending this slope, it will arrive at the back of the hook, as seen in F ig. 6. The thread is thus brought into the bottom of the shuttle, slightly lower than the hook 2a, but a little in front of the latter and resting on its rod. `Under these conditions, when the rod is drawn baclr by the carriage 22 through the eyelet of the shuttle, the hoolr 2% cannot fail to lio-ol; the thread and carry it along through the evelet.

The movements of the carriage 22 may be eected by hand if so desired, by means oi the handle 38 shown in Fig. d. in addition, the catch device 28 for retaining the carriage in its advanced position may be manipulated by hand, by means of the knob 39.

The device described above may be modiiied and improved in many ways and the invention is in no way limited to the particular details described. F or instance, as shown in Fig. 8, the carriage 22 may be made to move over a circular path. in such an arrangement, as shown in this figure, the rotatable plates l? are pivoted upon a plate l0 which is itself pivoted at 4l to tie base plate l. The construction in this figure is essentially the same as that previously described with the exception that the pawl 31 is pivoted in this construction to the plate 40 instead of to the lever la.

I claim:-

l. Device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools, comprising pressure exerting means arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closure thereof, means for engaging the thread when a new cop has been inserted in said shuttle, and means for producing the introduction and withdrawal of said thread engaging means into and from said shuttle to produce threading of the weft through the eyelet thereof.

2. Device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving neeaees looms with new cops or spools, comprising, in combination, pressure exerting means arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closure thereof, means for engaging the thread when a new cop has been inserted in said shuttle, means for producing the alternate introduction and withdrawal of said thread engaging means into and from said shuttle to produce threading of the weft through the eyelet thereof, and means for combining and controlling the movement of said thread engaging means with that of said pressure exerting means.

3. Device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools, comprising, in combination, pressure exerting means arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closure thereof, means for engaging the thread when a new cop has been inserted in said shuttle, means comprising movable projecting members or stops brought into operation successively by the movement of said pressure exerting means to produce the alternate introduction ancL withdrawal of said thread engaging means into and from said shuttle to thread the weft through the eyelet thereof, and means for combining and controlling the operation of said pressure exerting means and said movable projecting members so that each complete movement of said pressure exerting means brings into operation a new projecting member or stop and a corresponding movement in one direction of said thread engaging means.

fi. Device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools, comprising, in combination, pressure exerting means arranged to be orought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and ciosure thereof, means for engaging the thread when a new Cop has been inserted in said shuttle, a movable operating device perated in accordance with the movement of said pressure exerting means, means comprising rotatable members having projections or stops mounted on said movable operating device and operated to produce the alternate introduction and withdrawal of said thread enmeans into and from said shuttle to thread the weft through the eyelet thereof, means for combining and controlling the operation of said pressure exerting means and said movable operating device, and means operated upon each return of said pressure exerting means and said device to the position of rest to produce rotation of said rotatable members and bring a new projection or stop into operation and corresponding movement in one direction of said thread engaging means.

5. Device for facilitating and accelerating lGO the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools, comprising, in combination, pressure exerting means arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closure thereof, means for engagin the thread lwhen a new cop has been inserte in said shuttle, a movable operating device operated in accordance with the movement of said pressure exerting means, means comprising rotatable members having projections or stops mounted on said movable operating device and operated to produce the alternate introduction and withdrawal of said thread engaging means into and from said shuttle to thread the weft through the eyelet thereof, said projections or stops on one of said rotatable members being displaced with regard to the projections or stops on the other of said members, means for combining and controlling the operation of said pressure exerting means and said movable operating device, and means arranged to produce a rotation of said rotatable members upon each return of said pressure exerting means and said movable operating device to the position of rest, so as to bring a new projection or stop of one of said rotatable members into operation alone in succession to a projection or stop of the other of said members. Y

6. Device for threading mechanically the weft from a cop or spool through the eyelet of a shuttle, comprising, in combination, thread engaging means arranged to be introduced into and withdrawn from said shuttle through the eyelet thereof, a movable carriage device operated in guides and associated with said thread engaging means, means on said carriage device operated yto produce movement thereof and ofsaid thread engaging means towards said shuttle, means for locking said carriage device and thread engaging means in the operated position, and means Voperated to unlock said carriage device from the operated position for returning and withdrawing said thread engaging means from said shuttle to the position of rest. l

7. Device for threading mechanically the weft from a cop or spool through the eyelet of a shuttle, comprising, in combination, thread engaging means arranged to be introduced into and withdrawn from said shuttle through the eyelet thereof, a movable carriage device slidable in guides and associated with said thread engaging means, projections mounted on said carriage device, means comprising a rotatable member having projections or stops thereon operated to engage by said projections or stops with at least one of said projections on said movable carriage device, to produce movement of said carriage device and of said thread engaging means towards said shuttle, means for locking said carriage by a second projection thereon in the operated position, and means comprising a second rotatable member having projections or stops operated to unlock thereby said carriage and thread engaging means and return them from the operated position to the vposition of rest whilst withdrawing said thread engaging means from said shuttle.

8. Device for threading mechanically the weft from a cop or spool through the eyelet of a shuttle, comprising, in combination, thread engaging means arranged to be introduced into and withdrawn from said shuttle through the eyelet thereof, a movable carriage device slideable in guides and associated with said thread engaging means, projections mounted on said carriage device, a movable operating device comprising rotatable members having projections or stops operated to engage with said projections on said movable carriage, said projections or stops on one of said rotatable members being displaced with regard to the projections or stops on the other of said members, means operating with one of said rotatable members engaging by a stop or projection with at least one of said projections on said carriage device to produce movement of said Carriage device and of said thread engaging means towards said shuttle, means for locking said carriage by a second projection thereon in the operated position, and means for controlling the other of said rotatable members to bring a projection thereon into position to unlock said carriage and thread engaging means from the operated position, upon further operation of said movable operating device, and return them to the position of rest.

9. Device for threading mechanically the weft from a cop or spool through the eyelet ofa shuttle, comprising, in combination, thread engaging means arranged to be introduced into and withdrawn from said shuttle through the eyelet thereof, a movable carriage device slideable in guides and associated with said thread engaging means, project-ions mounted on said carriage device, a movable operating device comprisinga spindlehaving mounted thereon two rotatable members provided with projections or stops and operated to engage by said projections with the projections on said movable carriage, said projections or stops on one of said rotatable members being displaced with regard to the projections or stops on the other of said members, means operating with one of said rotatable members, engaging by la stopor projection with at least one of said projections on said carriage device, to produce movement thereof and ofsaid thread engaging means towards said shuttle, means for locking said carriage device by a second project-ion thereon in the operated position, means for returning said movable operating device to the position of rest, means compris- CTL ing a pawl device for bringing into position for operation a stop or projection on one of said rotatable members alternately, the one to: produce forward motion of said thread engaging means towards said shuttle and the other to unlock said carriage device from the operated position respectively, and means for returning said carriage device and said thread engaging means from the operated position, after unlocking thereof, to the position of rest.

10. Device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools comprising, in combination, pressure exerting means arranged to be brought into operation against the cover of the shuttle vto facilitate the release and closure thereof, means for engaging the thread when a new cop has been inserted in said shuttle, a movable carriage device slideable in guides and associated with said thread engaging means, projections mounted on said carriage device, a movable operating device comprising a spindle having mounted thereonV `two rotatable members provided with projections or stops and operated to engage by said projections with the projections on said movable carriage, said projections or stops on one of said rotatable members being displaced with regard to the projections or stops on the other of said members, means for combining the movement of said movable operating device with that of said pressure exerting means to produce simultaneously7 with the latter movement of said movable operating device and of saidthread engaging means towards said shuttle, means for locking said carriage by a projection thereon in the operated position, means for returning said movable operating device to the position of rest, means comprising a pawl device for bringing into position for operation a stop or projection on one of said rotatable members alternately, the one to produce forward motion of said thread engagino' means towards said shuttle and the other to unlock said carriage device from the operated position respectively, and means for returning said carriage device and said thread engaging means from the operated position after unlocking thereof.

ll. Device for facilitating and accelerating the reiilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools comprising, in combination7 a lever device operated to exert pressure against the cover of the shuttle to facilitate the release and closure thereof, a hook device for engaging the thread when a new cop has been inserted in said shuttle, a movable carriage device slideable in guides and associated with said hook device, projections mounted on said carriage device, a movable operating device comprising a tra-in of wheels and a spindle having mounted thereon two rotatable mem- 1,862, eea

bers provided with projections or stops and operated to engage by said projections with the projections on said movable carriage, said projections or stops on one of said rotatable members being displaced with regard to the projections or stops on the other of said members, means comprising a foot-operated pedal, common shaft and connecting rods for combining the movement of said movable operating device with that of said pressure exerting means to produce simultaneously with the latter movement of said movable operating device and of said hook device towards said shuttle, a detent' device for locking said carriage by a projection thereon in the operated position, spring returned means for returning said movable operating device to the position of rest, means comprising a pawl device for bringing into position for operation a stop or projection on one of said rotatable members alternately, the one to produce forward motion of said thread engaging hook towards said shuttle and the other to unlock said carriage device from the operated position respectively, and spring-returned means for' returning the can ria-ge device and said thread engaging hook from the operated position after unlocking thereof.

12. For use in combination with a device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools a shuttle comprising means for impressing a zig-Zag path upon the weft, and presenting said weft in thc aXis of the threading eye of the shuttle.

13. For use in combination with a device for facilitating and accelerating the refilling of spent shuttles from weaving looms with new cops or spools a shuttle comprising a plurality of transverse rods in the body of said shuttle, a plurality of stirrup members projecting from the cover thereof arranged to be interposed between said rods upon closure of said shuttle cover, and a plate like member comprising an inclined edge terminating in a hook device into which is brought the free end of said weft along said inc-lined edge, said hook being arranged to present a part of the weft in the a-Xis of the threading eye of the shuttle.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto affixed my signature.

MAURICE CHARLES HENRI OCTVE LECOCQ. 

